WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's swimming & diving team opened its season against the reigning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champions Grove City on Tuesday evening.
 
The Wolverines took home the team victory with a final score of 112-69.
 
Four different W&J swimmers posted top-eight times in the PAC in the Presidents' inaugural meet of 2021.
 
Junior Colin Higinbotham (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) notched a photo-finish first place in the 50 yard freestyle. He out-touched the PAC's top swimmer in the event, Mac Hancock, to win with a time of 22.31, the second-fastest time in the conference this season.
 
Higinbotham also added a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle. His time of 51:19 ranks seventh in the conference.
 
Freshman Nathan Smith (Fort Defiance, Va./Fort Defiance) debuted with a 56.40 in the 100 yard backstroke. Smith finished second to Grove City's Noah Berkebile, who posted the conference's fastest time at 56.02. Smith's effort places him third on the PAC leaderboard in the event.
 
Smith also swam the 200 backstroke and finished fourth at 2:09.84. His time also places him seventh in the PAC in the 200 back as the top three finishers for Grove City are all among the conference's top five in the event.
 
Junior Andrew Ivory (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars) faced a loaded field in the 100 yard breaststroke and logged a 1:08.45, good for eighth in the PAC. Ivory also secured a fourth-place finish in the 200 breast (2:30.01).
 
Freshman Warren Huang (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) jumped onto the PAC leaderboard with a 2:18.96 in the 200 butterfly, good for seventh in the PAC. Huang also recorded a 1:01.36 in the 100 fly.
 
The Presidents were third in the 200 medley relay (1:46.73) and 200 freestyle relay (1:38.01).
 
W&J is scheduled to wrap up its regular season next Tuesday evening at Saint Vincent.